Day 1: Christchurch to Lake Tekapo Kia Ora and welcome to the South Island! The tour meets this morning at our very own Christchurch accommodation, Haka Lodge. As the biggest city in the South, Christchurch is characterised by its expansive park areas, the beautiful weaving River Avon and wide tree-lined avenues. After an introduction by your guide (nothing cheesy!) and breakfast, we set off for an orientation tour of Christchurch and its surrounding area. Unfortunately the earthquakes of September 2010 and February 2011 have damaged many buildings, including the iconic cathedral - but the city is in the re-build stage and things look optimistic for its future. After lunch we drive south for Lake Tekapo, the beautiful alpine village in Mackenzie Country. The great thing about travelling New Zealand with Haka Tours is that your guide will break up every drive with unique and interesting stops so you can see a part of our country not everyone else gets to see! We don t want you to spend the whole time on the bus! The town of Lake Tekapo is a ski resort in winter and aquatic playground in summer! Depending on the time of year, it can be very cold or very hot but the view is always beautiful! The 20 kilometre glacial lake is completely surrounded by the impressive Southern Alps and the landscape is outstanding. The remnants of the Ice Age glaciers continue to discharge fine rock flour giving the lake its intense turquoise hue. We take a drive up to the top of Mt John. You ll need your camera! This striking landform of solid rock overlooks the town and provides us with full panoramic views of the uplands, lakes and mountains from its summit. Our accommodation is situated right along the edge of the lake and we check in before dinner. Every place we stay at has full kitchen and lounge facilities so you are welcome to cook or try one of the village s restaurants or pubs. We usually find a tour group will stick together and your guide is always on hand to give suggestions!
Day 2: Lake Tekapo to Queenstown One of the best scenic flights in NZ! Good morning! You wake up alongside the stunning Lake Tekapo and have a chance to wonder down by the water before we depart for Queenstown! We also offer a fantastic opportunity to see the Southern Alps, glaciers and Mt Cook (the highest in New Zealand at 3,764 metres) up close on a one hour scenic flight (below). It is a highly recommended experience. Along the drive today your guide will make a stop at one of the many salmon farms and give you the chance to feed the salmon and taste some sashimi. The journey then takes us alongside Lake Pukaki, with views of Mt Cook, and through the village of Omarama. There is also a possible stop to experience some wine tasting just before we get to Queenstown. The Otago region is well known for its Pinot Noir. By the afternoon we reach Queenstown. With more activity options per square metre than any other similarly-sized town across the world, and heaps of top bars and restaurants, this is a definite must-do for any backpacker coming on tour in the South Island. You will never fail to find things going on in Queenstown, and it is always buzzing with visitors. It is also one of the most beautiful settings on earth, nestled beside Lake Wakatipu in the Southern Lakes district. We include a gondola ride in your tour so you can travel to the top of the town to see the view! As always your guide will give you an orientation around Queenstown s main streets, before checking into your accommodation. The lodge is situated a mere five minute walk from the centre of town allowing great accessibility but also a quiet night s sleep.
Day 3: Queenstown Who is up for a bungy in Queenstown? This is essentially a free day for you to fill how you please! Skydiving, paragliding, rafting, the Shotover Canyon Swing, Nevis and Kawarau Bridge bungys, quad biking, and extreme jet boat trips are all on offer! These can be pre-booked through us or decided upon on the day. In the winter months of June to early October you can spend the day on the slopes of The Remarkables or Coronet Peak! All abilities of skiing and snowboarding welcome we can arrange beginner lessons for those of you that need them, and hire is easily provided. For a more relaxed option, your guide may take you to Glenorcy where there are multiple half and full day walks. Another awesome and world famous experience that we fully recommend is a day trip to Milford Sound absolutely gorgeous. We offer both a coachcruise-coach option, and a fly-cruise-fly for a little extra. You might appreciate the latter if you would rather not spend a lot of time on a big bus! Something that shouldn t be missed during your time in Queenstown is a visit to the infamous Fergburger café where you can try one of the numerous different delicious burgers! The nightlife is also second to none in New Zealand and so we won t be surprised if some of you end up dancing in World Bar with a few cocktails!
Day 4: Queenstown to Wanaka A mornings skydive never goes amiss! ;-) It s already day 4 of our South Island adventure tour! The morning can be used for any last activities in Queenstown particularly helpful if you have spent yesterday at Milford Sound or skiing all day! When we depart we take the Crown Range road over to Wanaka. This is the highest inland road in the country so get your cameras out for the spectacular views! We may stop for coffee in the oldest pub in New Zealand, the Cardrona Hotel, or to ride monster trucks and argos at Cardrona Adventure Park! The drive is only one hour to Wanaka, and here we are greeted by the shores of the beautiful deep blue lakes (Wanaka and Hawea). Over 1,300 feet deep, both lakes are fringed by breathtaking mountain ranges, giving an unforgettable alpine panorama. Like Tekapo, Wanaka transforms between Summer and Winter. During summer, wakeboarding, water-skiing, stunning lake cruises and swimming are always popular but in the winter the town is a complete snow sports destination. Once again there may be a chance for you to ski or snowboard between June and October if you are interested!
Day 5: Wanaka to Franz Josef Travel in style in our Haka Tours buses! You wake up with views of the stunning Lake Wanaka and surrounding Southern Alps. Activities on this morning s agenda can include skydiving over beautiful views of the lake, nearby glaciers and mountains, taking an acrobatic flight, wakeboarding (summer only), or exploring the town and paying a confusing visit to Puzzling World. We have a bigger drive today but there are lots to see and do along the way to keep you entertained! Firstly there are many photo opportunities alongside Lake Wanaka and Hawea, before the landscape completely changes and you enter the luxuriant rainforest that characterises the whole West Coast region. The prevailing winds that impinge on the sharp mountain barrier of the Southern Alps result in heavy rainfall in this area and so there are many stunning waterfalls along the roadside! Your tour manager may take you to one of our favourites, the Roaring Billy Falls. The town of Haast signifies our arrival at the coast and we take our first look at the ocean from the Ships Creek viewing point. Between September and December it is whitebait season and so your guide may try to find a place to buy some to cook for you! They are considered a real delicacy in New Zealand so try not to turn your nose up at their appearance (tiny white fish eaten whole)! The climate and subsequent rainforest is to account for why this region is so desolate and unpopulated. Between the mountains and the almost unbroken stretch of surf beaches are low hills and broad terraces among which are beautiful forest-fringed lakes, and a surprising number of places of historical interest. After passing through Fox, we arrive at the village of Franz Josef in the early evening and check in to our accommodation a cosy motel with a native bush backdrop.
Day 6: Franz Josef Franz Josef Glacier is a must see! You cannot visit the South Island, let alone Franz Josef, without seeing one of the glaciers. Both the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers are world-renowned on account of their relative accessibility and the low level to which they descend, although they no longer extend far enough down their valleys to reach the forest. The most popular way of visiting the glacier is with a half day guided trek, but there are also full day or heli-hike options available. We truly recommend a heli-hike if you can afford it as it will take you to the most stunning blue ice! Trekking on the glacier is nowhere as strenuous as it sounds, but if it still doesn t sound like you, then your guide can take you as close to the bottom of the glacier as possible. There is some awesome quad biking for the afternoon (booked on the day), horse trekking, or otherwise relax in the hostel s spa pool and TV lounge or have a drink in one of the cafés or bars. As it is your last night on tour in the South Island tonight, we often like to have a farewell party to celebrate all the good times we ve had!
Day 7: Franz Josef to Christchurch Stunning scenery awaits on Day 7. Before you know it, it s your last day! After breakfast we head further along the beautiful west coast on one of the most spectacular drives in the world. A rugged, primeval landscape of luxuriant rainforest juxtaposed against breathtaking beach and ocean waves. We pass through Ross, a town that arose from gold mining. The gold rush days of the second half of the 19th century were largely responsible for opening up the West Coast for settlement. Before this there was a small number of Maori who searched for greenstone, or Jade. There is also an chance to stop at Hokitika and visit a greenstone factory to see how it is made into jewellery and other ornaments, and possibly buy some as a souvenir. Time permitting we may also visit the National Kiwi centre where there is guaranteed viewing of rare kiwi birds in their nocturnal house. Rather than force you to sit on the tour bus the whole way back to Christchurch, we take the stunning Tranz Alpine Train Crossing. Travelling across the Southern Alps through Arthur s Pass, we return to Christchurch by 6.05pm to say our final goodbyes and go our separate ways.
Before/After your Tour Have more time? You are able to book additional nights' accommodation through us at Haka Lodge, Christchurch. This is our main HQ and home to our offices, as well as providing great accommodation for our tour members. Your Haka Tour Advisor is more than happy to help arrange further trips (and activities) from Christchurch for you, whether to Kaikoura, Akaroa, Hanmer Springs, or as far North as Wellington. In the winter, our 7 day South Island Snow Safari is the ultimate New Zealand snow tour and takes you to 6 different ski fields! It departs weekly from Christchurch.